Taking aim at Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s five relatives on the office payroll, GOP challenger Dan Rutherford Thursday pledged not to hire any family members if elected in November.

The Republican state senator from downstate Pontiac blasted White, a Chicago Democrat, for promoting his daughter to a $112,512-a-year post, allowing a contract employee to pen his biography and permitting his chief-of-staff’s wife to come on board as a temporary secretary exempt from the contract bid process.

“It doesn’t pass the smell test,” Rutherford said during an interview with the Daily Herald’s editorial board. “Are those things illegal? I don’t know. I’ll leave that to a U.S. attorney somewhere to decide.”

White’s spokesman denied what Rutherford describes as a “pattern of impropriety.”

Such attacks reflect Rutherford’s effort to create name recognition across the state, White spokesman Dave Druker said. Rutherford has served 14 years in the Illinois General Assembly.

With eight years as secretary of state, 16 years as a state representative and a popular tumbling team that bears his name, White, meanwhile, is more of a household figure.

Druker defended the hiring done during White’s tenure.

Daughter Glenna White-Jones joined the secretary of state’s office during the George Ryan administration. Her first staff job paid $39,000 yearly. Two promotions later, she nets $112,512 as an executive assistant overseeing four departments, Druker said.

“Her salary was not nearly commensurate with her ability in that office,” Druker said, noting she was the department’s lone certified accountant.

Four additional relatives of White’s are among the office’s nearly 3,800 employees.

Druker defended Rick Davis’ authoring White’s biography while also working as a contract employee, saying he did not write on state time. And the chief-of-staff’s wife recruited as an 18-month employee is “eminently well-qualified,” Druker said.

Such explanations will not be needed if he is elected, Rutherford contends.

“Up front, I will say real clear, I will not hire my family members. Period. I don’t care if they are qualified,” Rutherford said, billing himself as a hands-on secretary of state. “When I’m the secretary, I will not let that happen on my watch.”